Presenting the second book of my #QuarantineReadingList: Nilda by Nicholasa Mohr

I’m actually re-reading this gem of a novel. This book was one of my favorites growing up as a young Puerto Rican girl.

I remember when I finished reading it as a kid, I told my mom that this was my book and not to pass it onto any of her friends’ kids. She likes to share her books with friends and then complains that she never gets them back.

This book is a perfect read for children and adults. I’m thrilled to revisit this title character’s coming of age story in New York during World War II.

Now, as a writer of color, I’m finding inspiration from the books that shaped me as a younger reader. This week, I am participating in the Kweli Journal’s 2020 Color of Children’s Literature Conference (now virtual) and I’m looking forward to learning and connecting with other authors who love to share stories and elements of their culture within their writing. I feel representation is so important, and for me, as a child reading a book with a Puerto Rican protagonist was a big deal. That’s why I am re-reading Nilda.

What are you reading?